As your agency grows, managing your day-to-day workload can become increasingly complex. While your inbox and a simple to-do list might have worked when you only had one or two employees, the larger your team, the more room for error or miscommunication.
Project management software is the solution. These intelligent and flexible tools are designed to handle complicated project requirements, helping agencies do their best work every time by streamlining processes and improving communication. Whether yours is a digital, advertising, or design agency, you can benefit from using project management software.
What is agency project management software?
Project management software helps agencies manage their resources by giving them everything they need to plan effective projects and execute them without a hitch.
Unlike work management systems, which seek to improve workflows, project management software helps teams put those plans into action. Every tool will offer slightly different features, but a project management system should generally include schedule planning, resource management, quality control, and budget management capabilities.
Project or client management teams usually have a lot on their plates, from capturing requirements and tracking timelines to reviewing workload and allocating team resources. A good project management tool will help simplify those processes and more.
What to look for in a project management tool
The market is full of project management software boasting incredible results, but a large percentage of these tools are for general use and may not provide the specific features you need. Agencies operating in the marketing or ad industries should seek out tools that are designed to support file sharing, feedback loops, and team collaboration. We’ll dig into your best options a little later.
The best tool for your agency will depend on the work you do with your clients, your current workflows, and your business priorities. However, there are a few must-have features you should look out for, regardless of your agency’s specialty:
- Time tracking: You need to understand how your team’s time is being spent. A built-in time tracking tool allows you to monitor billable hours, workload distribution, utilization, and burn.
- Integrations: It's important that your tools speak to each other, so you'll want to find project management software that offers integrations to make it easy to send and receive project information from the rest of your tech stack.
- Task tracking: Whether you prefer a kanban board or a simple task dashboard, your project management software should make it easy to see who is working on what, which tasks are coming up next, where delays are occurring and what dependencies you need to keep an eye on.
- Customization: While most project management tools offer pre-made templates that can be handy for getting you started, you’ll need to be able to customize your software to align with your existing workflows.
- In-app communication: Collaboration is the bedrock of any successful agency, so select a tool that supports communication at a task, job, and client level.
- Great UX: Barriers to adoption, like poor UX or a lack of training resources, can make employees hesitant to use new tools. Slow load times, impossible navigation, and confusing layouts can negate the benefits of investing in a new tool.
The best project management software for agencies
Ready to find the right project management software for your agency? Let’s take a look at your options.
1. Forecast.app – Best for Mid to Large Agencies (25+ team members)
Forecast.app is an AI-powered project management tool built specifically for agencies that need advanced resource planning, capacity management, and automation. With AI-driven insights, Forecast helps teams streamline workflows, optimize resource allocation, and prevent burnout by forecasting workload distribution in real time.
Key Features:
- AI-Powered Resource & Capacity Planning: Automatically allocates tasks and predicts future resource needs.
- Project Financials & Budget Tracking: Keep track of project profitability in real time.
- Timeline & Task Management: Intuitive Gantt charts and Kanban boards for managing tasks and deadlines.
- Timesheets & Time Tracking: Built-in time tracking for precise project reporting and invoicing.
- Integration Hub: Seamless integration with tools like Slack, QuickBooks, and Jira.
Why We Chose It:
Forecast’s AI engine stands out, making it a perfect solution for agencies managing multiple projects and large teams. It offers unmatched capacity planning that ensures your resources are used effectively, improving delivery timelines and profitability.
2. Teamwork.com – Best for Small Agencies (Under 25 team members)
Teamwork is a project management tool designed with agencies in mind. It focuses on client work, billing, and collaboration, making it ideal for small teams that need a simple yet robust tool to manage multiple client projects without overwhelming complexity.
Key Features:
- Client-Focused Task Management: Track deliverables and milestones for multiple projects at once.
- Time Tracking & Billing: Log time, create invoices, and manage project budgets in one place.
- Collaboration Tools: Shared calendars, file storage, and real-time messaging.
- Client Permissions: Control what clients can view and collaborate on.
- Templates & Automation: Simplify repetitive tasks with reusable templates.
Why We Chose It:
Teamwork is purpose-built for small agencies, offering features like client management and billing that many other tools lack. Its affordability and ease of use make it perfect for teams with fewer than 25 members.
Pricing:
Free plan for small teams; paid plans start at $10/user/month.
3. Monday.com – Best for Small Teams (5–15 members)
Monday.com is a highly flexible and visual project management platform that works well for small teams looking to manage tasks, deadlines, and collaboration in a user-friendly environment.
Key Features:
- Customizable Workflows: Tailor task boards to match your team’s workflow.
- Visual Project Tracking: Kanban, Gantt, timeline, and calendar views.
- Automation: Automate repetitive tasks like status updates and task assignments.
- Collaboration Tools: Centralized file sharing and communication.
- Integration Support: Works with Slack, Zoom, Google Workspace, and more.
Why We Chose It:
Its clean and customizable interface makes Monday.com ideal for small teams that need flexibility without the bloat of more complex tools.
Pricing:
Free plan for individuals; paid plans start at $8/user/month.
4. ClickUp – Best All-in-One Platform for Growing Teams
ClickUp offers a wide range of features, including task management, time tracking, goal setting, and reporting, all in one customizable platform.
Key Features:
- Multiple Views: List, Kanban, Calendar, Gantt, and mind map views.
- Customizable Dashboards: Create dashboards for tracking key metrics.
- Time Tracking & Reporting: In-depth reporting and time management features.
- Goal Tracking: Set, track, and measure progress on team goals.
Why We Chose It:
ClickUp’s extensive feature set makes it suitable for growing agencies that need scalability and customization in one tool.
Pricing:
Free plan available; paid plans start at $5/user/month.
5. Asana – Best for Simple Task Management
Asana is a popular task management tool known for its clean interface and simple project tracking capabilities. It’s perfect for agencies that want to manage tasks without overly complex features.
Key Features:
- Task Assignment & Prioritization
- Project Timelines
- Subtasks & Dependencies
- Collaborative Workspaces
Why We Chose It:
Asana is an excellent choice for agencies that need a straightforward solution to organize tasks and keep teams on track.
Pricing:
Free plan for up to 15 users; paid plans start at $10.99/user/month.
6. Wrike – Best for Medium to Large Teams
Wrike is a powerful tool with advanced project planning, collaboration, and reporting features designed for mid to large agencies.
Key Features:
- Advanced Reporting & Dashboards
- Cross-Department Collaboration
- Gantt Charts & Workload Views
- Custom Request Forms
Why We Chose It:
Wrike’s scalability and advanced features make it ideal for agencies handling complex projects with multiple stakeholders.
Pricing:
Free plan for basic features; paid plans start at $9.80/user/month.
7. Workfront (Adobe) – Best for Large Enterprises
Workfront is an enterprise-grade project management tool used by large agencies to manage complex workflows, approvals, and resource planning.
Key Features:
- Enterprise-Scale Resource Planning
- Approval Workflows
- Portfolio Management
- Real-Time Reporting
Why We Chose It:
Workfront is built for large enterprises that require deep integrations with Adobe Creative Cloud and advanced project governance.
Pricing:
Custom pricing available on request.
8. Basecamp – Best for Simple Team Collaboration
Basecamp focuses on simplicity and team collaboration, making it great for small to mid-size agencies that don’t need advanced project planning tools.
Key Features:
- Message Boards & To-Do Lists
- Team Schedules
- Client Access
- File Sharing & Storage
Why We Chose It:
Basecamp’s no-frills approach is perfect for teams that prioritize communication and task organization over complex project management features.
Pricing:
Flat rate of $99/month for unlimited users.
9. Smartsheet – Best for Spreadsheet-Like Project Management
Smartsheet combines the familiarity of spreadsheets with robust project management features, making it a good choice for data-driven teams.
Key Features:
- Spreadsheet Interface
- Resource Management
- Automated Workflows
- Real-Time Dashboards
Why We Chose It:
Agencies that love spreadsheets will feel right at home while gaining the benefits of a more advanced project management system.
Pricing:
Plans start at $7/user/month.
10. Hive – Best for Collaboration and Task Management
Hive is a productivity platform with robust task management, team collaboration, and automation features.
Key Features:
- Multiple Project Views: Kanban, Gantt, and calendar.
- Native Email Integration
- Action Cards for Tasks
- Time Tracking & Analytics
Why We Chose It:
Hive’s collaboration tools and flexible task management make it great for agencies that rely on close teamwork.
Pricing:
Starts at $12/user/month.
Conclusion
Choosing the right project management tool for your agency depends largely on your team size and specific needs. Forecast.app leads the way for larger teams with its AI-driven resource management, while Teamwork.com is perfect for smaller agencies with a focus on client management. For growing teams, tools like Monday.com and ClickUp offer the flexibility to scale.
